Mexico kicked off the2026 World Cup in profitable trend, but it surely was the purple playing cards, not the objectives, that outlined one of the crucial chaotic opening matches within the match’s historical past.
Objectives from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez gave the co-hosts a 2-0 win on the Estadio Azteca, however the scoreline was not the headline coming away from the curtain-raiser.
Three straight purple playing cards within the second half left the sport ending at ten versus 9, the primary World Cup opener in historical past to function three dismissals.
Quinones broke the impasse with the earliest objective to open a World Cup since Philipp Lahm’s strike for Germany in opposition to Costa Rica after six minutes in 2006.
Talking afterwards, he was delighted. “Many issues got here into my head like celebrating and screaming with pleasure,” he mentioned.
“I went to the bench to see my friends as a result of they’ve given me a lot confidence. I needed to really feel that pleasure with them.”
South Africa’s Sphephelo Sithole was proven a straight purple card early within the second half after pulling again Brian Gutierrez who was clear via on objective, successfully killing Bafana Bafana’s hopes of a comeback.
Raul Jimenez then made it 2-0, heading house from shut vary to spark extra Azteca celebrations.
Quinones paid tribute to his veteran strike associate. “We actually congratulated him as a result of he provides lots to the group,” he mentioned.
“Being a part of a group is our pleasure and it’s fantastic he continues so as to add objectives to his profession as a participant in our nationwide group.”
Pink playing cards the headline
Then got here the controversy. Cesar Montes was proven a straight purple card for denying an apparent goalscoring alternative after a careless full-body sort out on a South Africa ahead.
Montes will now miss the following group sport, and Quinones didn’t mince his phrases. “There have been some errors that had been very pricey,” he mentioned flatly. “Being despatched off is one thing you possibly can keep away from.”
The South Africa supervisor was additionally clearly pissed off in his post-match evaluation. “The primary purple card, I don’t suppose we’ve to say one thing about it,” he conceded, earlier than turning his fireplace on Montes’ dismissal.
“The second purple card, I feel the Mexican participant blocked my participant, that occurs, the referee decides one thing else, so it’s a little bit a pity that we’ve to complete this sport with 9 gamers.”
Broos additionally insisted his facet weren’t outclassed. “I feel my group performed a great sport, some moments within the sport Mexico had been even determined, they didn’t know how one can discover the areas, so all the things was good.
“The one factor that have to be higher within the subsequent sport is when we’ve the ball. That was not so good right now so we’ve to work on it.”
